Consultancy for Planning and Feasibility Assessment for Canopy Walkway in Budongo Central Forest Reserve

• Country: Uganda
• Summary: Consultancy for Planning and Feasibility Assessment for Canopy Walkway in Budongo Central Forest Reserve
• UGT Ref No: 52355062
• Deadline: 03 May 2021
• Financier: World Bank (WB)
• Purchaser Ownership: Government
• Tender Value: Refer Document
• Notice Type: Tender
• Document Ref. No.: 1274248
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• Description:
• Expression of Interest are invited for Consultancy for Planning and Feasibility Assessment for Canopy Walkway in Budongo Central Forest Reserve. REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR SELECTION # 1274248 This Request for Expression of Interest is for a Firm Selection. Please log in as a valid Firm User if you wish to express interest in this selection. Selection Information Assignment Title Consultancy for Planning and Feasibility Assessment for Canopy Walkway in Budongo Central Forest Reserve Publication Date 18-Apr-2021 Expression of Interest Deadline 03-May-2021 at 11:59:59 PM (Eastern Time - Washington D.C.) Language of Notice English Selection Notice Assignment Country · UG - Uganda Funding Sources The World Bank Group intends to finance the assignment/services under: · TF0B5400 - Analytical and Adivisory Activities for Forestry and Tourism Development (Sida funding) · BB - BANK BUDGET Individual/Firm The consultant will be a firm. Assignment Description EOI Details: The primary objective is to prepare a full business package, including a detailed assessment, designs, and costing of the potential canopy walkway. If a canopy walkway in Budongo CFR is not deemed to be feasible, the option of building a canopy walkway at another high-potential PAs should be pursued SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS The World Bank Group now invites eligible firms to indicate their interest in providing the services. Interested firms must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services (brochures, description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions, availability of appropriate skills among staff, etc. for firms;). Please note that the total size of all attachments should be less than 5MB. Consultants may associate to enhance their qualifications. Interested firms are hereby invited to submit expressions of interest. Expressions of Interest should be submitted, in English, electronically through World Bank Group eConsultant2 (https://wbgeconsult2.worldbank.org/wbgec/index.html) Following this invitation for Expression of Interest, a shortlist of qualified firms will be formally invited to submit proposals. Shortlisting and selection will be subject to the availability of funding. Only those firms which have been shortlisted will receive notification. No debrief will be provided to firms which have not been shortlisted. NOTES Consulting firms will be selected in accordance with procedures set out in the World Bank Guidelines Selection and Employment of Consultants by World Bank Borrowers January 1997 (revised September 1997, January 1999 and May 2002). EOIs must be delivered through Ecosultant2 by the deadline date. Interested firms may obtain further information at the address below Monday to Friday from 09:30 to 17:00. Kanta Kumari Rigaud Lead Environment Specialist, SAEE2 The World Bank J8-806, 1818 H. Street, NW Washington, DC. 20433 Email: kkumari@worldbank.org Attachments · Optional TOR File Qualification Criteria · 1. Minimum 10 years experience and work with canopy walkway design. Prospective firms will be required to provide evidence of examples of previous design and installation work for canopy walkways. · 2. Experience in Sub-Saharan Africa would be an advantage. · 3. Provide information showing that they are qualified in the field of the assignment. · 4. Provide information on the technical and managerial capabilities of the firm. · 5. Provide information on their core business and years in business. · 6. Provide information on the qualifications of key staff. Terms of Reference Planning and feasibility assessment for canopy walkway in Budongo Central Forest Reserve Background Nature-based tourism was identified as a priority sector in Uganda-s new five-year National Development Plan (NDP3). Tourism foreign exchange earnings have been growing in recent years, generating US$1.6 billion in 2018 (compared to US$1.45 billion in 2017) and providing 1.17 million jobs (8 percent of total employment). Travel and tourism are forecast to rise to 8 percent of GDP by 2027. The forests and wildlife of the Albertine landscape are particularly important for tourism, as they attract more than 80 percent of the leisure tourists in Uganda for wildlife safaris, bird-watching tours, and gorilla and chimpanzee tracking. Nature-based tourism in the Albertine landscape benefits communities by creating jobs and revenue generating opportunities from community-based tourism products and services. Revenues from tourists also fund the operational costs of protected areas (PAs) themselves. Unfortunately, underinvestment and lack of integrated tourism-related planning are major constraints to fully realizing the economic potential of Uganda-s natural endowments. Some opportunities to link wildlife attractions in PAs to nearby cultural or community-based goods and service providers are missed, and tourism products and infrastructure within the PAs are limited. For tourism development, there is a need for focused planning and public investments that can facilitate and leverage private investments for improved economic outcomes. First and foremost is a need to diversify the range of tourism products available. The Ugandan tourism sector is lacking comprehensive product development, resulting in overdependency on gorilla visits, savannah game drives, and rafting in Jinja. A wider range of high-quality tourism products would be beneficial to the entire sector. Tourism product development should reflect the unique attributes of the destination, have the support of the host community, be different from competitors, and have a scale sufficient to make a significant economic contribution. One promising tourism product development opportunity that has been identified is the construction of canopy walkways. The World Bank, together with the Government of Uganda, is preparing to implement the Investing in Forests and Protected Areas for Climate Smart Development Project (IFPA-CD) project with the objectives of improving the sustainable management of forests and protected areas and increasing benefits from these endowments in the Albertine landscape. Detailed information on the project is available in the Project Appraisal Document. One of the key elements of the project will be to make targeted investments in tourism so as to increase revenues and jobs in the PAs and surrounding communities. To complement this investment, the Government of Sweden and the Uganda Multi-Donor Trust Fund, is financing Bank-executed support for key advisory activities. As part of this advisory support, the World Bank intends to support feasibility and design studies a proposed canopy walkway in Budongo Central Forest Reserve (CFR). Eventual construction of the canopy walkway would be financed under IFPA-CD Project subject to a positive assessment of feasibility, design specifications, and costings. The primary objective is to prepare a full business package, including a detailed assessment, designs, and costing of the potential canopy walkway. If a canopy walkway in Budongo CFR is not deemed to be feasible, the option of building a canopy walkway at another high-potential PAs should be pursued. Scope of work The selected firm should undertake the following: a) Conduct desk research and provide a background for canopy walkways globally including estimated volume, most popular destinations, standards for building, operation, revenue generation and maintenance as well as options for different kinds of management and use. [Deliverable 1] b) Visit Budongo CFR and conduct an initial assessment of its suitability and viability. Meetings should also be held with key stakeholders: National Forestry Authority (NFA), Uganda Tourist Board (UTB), tour operators, communities, etc. The site visits and consultations with stakeholders will inform selection of actual sites for the proposed canopy walkways. As mentioned in the preceding section, if Budongo CFR is not deemed suitable/viable based on this initial assessment, opportunities for canopy walkway development should be pursued in another PA. c) Prepare a draft business plan for the proposed canopy walkway. The business plan should contain: • description of most suitable site(s) for the canopy walkways • general design concepts • management and maintenance options • projections of demand, growth, and economic impact of the canopy walkway • indicative costs (including construction, equipment, maintenance, ongoing operations, training, promotion, etc) to ensure successful operation and feasibility of the walkway • assessment of financial feasibility • marketing and promotion channels • ideas for potential site enhancements in the project area that will improve the consumer experience [Deliverable 2]. d) Upon approval of the business plan by the World Bank team (in consultation with NFA), prepare detailed designs for the canopy walkway, including a bill of quantities [Deliverable 3]. e) Undertake a preliminary environmental and social assessment of the canopy walkway that could be used to inform future environmental and social risk management requirements of the World Bank and Government of Uganda [Deliverable 4]. Deliverables • Inception report outlining proposed methodology for undertaking the work including site visits and key stakeholder engagements (particularly in light of potential Covid-related travel restrictions), as well as findings from the desk research. • Draft business plan for the canopy walkways as outlined in task c. • Detailed designs and costing for the canopy walkway as outlined in task d. • Preliminary environmental and social assessment of the canopy walkway as outlined in task e. • Final busine
• Documents:

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